workouts

Merely knowing what food to eat, those that would ensure your body receives the nutrients it needs, is not enough to achieve a fit and healthy body. Diet could never be without exercise, they are a pair simply referred to as fitness nutrition, the combination of both. Those that exercise more, like athletes, require more food and nutrients so their body could keep up with all the physical activities they go through.

Carbohydrates, although mistakenly avoided by people on diets, are actually beneficial especially if you undertake physical activities or sports like sprinting, basketball of playing badminton. This is because these “carbs” produce the blood sugar in the body, this blood sugar which is more commonly known as glucose is stored as glycogen in the muscles. Glycogen provides the energy a person needs to perform such activities. Without glucose, a person can easily feel exhausted and out of breath. Some diet junkies think that they “sweat off the fat” in their body, but in reality, they sweat off the glycogen first and then the fat.

While carbohydrates are important for quick exercises, fats are in fact needed by the body when doing long endurance exercises like cycling, or running marathons. A healthy person does not actually have zero fat in their body; they have fat and in fact use them as a source of energy during their exercises. Without fat, your body tends to use the energy stored in the proteins. This is not ideal since the body needs these proteins to repair the muscles instead.

Vitamins and minerals, although not energy producers, are important for other health functions. They provide the calcium that strengthens the bones, the iron that helps in transporting oxygen throughout the body, and some minerals like potassium help in the regulation of water in the body during rigorous workouts.

Knowledge regarding fitness nutrition is important to determine what specific food to eat or drink before you deal with your exercise routine. About 3-6 hours before you exercise, it is advisable that you consume a full healthy meal. A few hours before actually exercising, you should consume food that is rich in carbohydrates, or better yet complex carbohydrates. This food type can provide a large amount of carbohydrate which can provide for more energy during your activities. Never ever forget to drink water before, during and after your exercise. Sweating causes the water in the body to evaporate. An individual must replace this lost fluid at once to prevent dehydration.

Keep in mind that too little or too much exercise can be bad. Be specific with your exercise regime; make sure it fits the type of lifestyle you lead. If you are already tired from work all day, try exercises which are not so intense like short jogs. Always eat a balanced diet; after all it is the other half of fitness nutrition. Never ever skip meals to ensure that your body is well nourished and drink lots of water and fluid. This ensures that the body stays in tip-top shape even if you are working out.

For most of us, choosing to be fit is more a test of will than a one time decision. Being “fit” covers a change in our lifestyle much more than just embarking upon a new exercise or diet program. For me, the choice came about 15 years ago. I was about 24 years old when friends of mine convinced me to start going to the gym as a group. At that time, I knew I didn’t really like the way I looked, so I thought it would be a good idea. How hard could it be? Well, it didn’t take long before I knew the answer to that question. (more…)